REVIEW If you like a ghost/scary story told in a verse format and you're in 4th - 7th grade then the book The Haunting of Lake Lucy is perfect for you. This book was a very well-written horror story for people who like a little spook. The book is about Jayce and Evie who are… Continue reading Ghost Writers: The Haunting of Lake Lucy- A Review by Guest Blogger, Helen Wheeler, and a Giveaway!
It is always an honor for me when an author allows me the privilege of sharing the cover of their book with the world. This time, I'm giving you a first peek at my friend Linda Phillips' new cover for the re-release of her YA novel, CRAZY. Isn't it stunning?It's hard to believe that this poignant novel… Continue reading YOU CAN SEE IT HERE FIRST — A COVER REVEAL of the RE-RELEASE OF CRAZY by Linda Phillips
Congratulations to J.Q. Rose who won a 1000 word, pitch, and query letter critique from Joan Edwards on last week's blog. This week we're hearing from Linda Phillips who is a familiar face to many of you. Her book CRAZY, came out in 2014 and she's still marketing it--although this maybe a "novel" idea for… Continue reading Linda Phillips: On Marketing, Celebrating Mental Health Month, and a FANTASTIC Giveaway!
This is a two-for-one week as I review and give away two books on the theme of bullying which Joyce Hostetter and I tackle in the spring issue of Talking Story. From the number of novels-in-verse that I review, you may guess this is a genre close to my heart. Ever since I was in… Continue reading Orchards: A Review and a Giveaway
Image-driven poetry. A serious mental health issue. Deep point of view. Madeline Kuderick's debut novel, Kiss of Broken Glass, reminds me of another beautifully written novel-in-verse, Linda Phillips' book, CRAZY. Or to put it simply, if you liked CRAZY, you'll like Kiss of Broken Glass. When a "friend" finds fifteen-year-old Kenna cutting in the school bathroom… Continue reading Kiss of Broken Glass: A Review and a Giveaway
This is the reason I love well-written historical fiction: It draws me into a place and time that I am barely familiar with, brushes me with information and imagery, and leaves me wanting to know more. Enter Blue Birds by Caroline Starr Rose (G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group USA). Written from the points of view of two fictional… Continue reading Blue Birds and an ARC Giveaway!
Sometimes titles of books are difficult to come up with. But when I consider, Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling (PenguinRandom, 2014) I think, Lucy Frank, this title is perfect. Written out of Ms. Frank's own battle with Crohn's disease, this novel-in-verse is simultaneously beautiful and earthy. The premise is simple and as alluded to by the… Continue reading Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling: A Review and a Giveaway!
Congratulations to Lisa Kline, a frequent guest on this blog, who won the autographed copy of Veronica Rossi's book Under the Never Sky. She has donated so many books as giveaways--I'm happy she won one too! ******** If you've been following this blog for several years than you may have already met Linda Phillips, one of my closest writing… Continue reading Introducing CRAZY by Linda Phillips- Part I
When Allan Wolf was thirteen, he lost a penny behind the baseboard in his bedroom. He grabbed a pencil and wrote, "Penny lost down here on the night of April 12, 1976 at 2 til 9 PM and 5 seconds by Allan Dean Wolf." In some ways, that was the genesis of Zane's Trace, a… Continue reading Zane's Trace
Two years ago I was pleased to share my friend Linda Phillips' news of signing with an agent. Today, I am even more excited to share her announcement of signing with a publisher! And you know that I'll be the first to offer an ARC or off-the-presses copy of her debut young adult novel when it is… Continue reading You Heard it Here First!